What She's Thinking Leading Up To Your First Anniversary

Three Things Every Guy Should Know Before His First Anniversary Date

Unless you’re part of one of those annoying couples who feel the need to celebrate every sunset and sneeze together with a Facebook post, most of us can agree that relationship anniversaries are arbitrary.

No one’s really paying attention (or cares) to any numbers apart from 25 and 50 — and that's mostly because the notion of being happy(ish) with one person, for that long, is actually inconceivable to a lot of us in 2015. Simultaneously terrifying yet aspirational, and not to mention totally commendable since, these days anyway, we just aren’t used to seeing relationships outlast our Twitter accounts. (But that's a whole other conversation...)

But if there is one anniversary date that is actually worth celebrating, even if just between yourselves, it's your first. I mean, it is kind of a big deal as far as relationships go. A landmark of sorts; proof that you’ve got what it takes as a couple (or at least part of what it takes) to make it work, and that you’ve checked every box that needs checking off, before moving on to the next round. You know, the prerequisite mini-milestones that every couple needs to accomplish before they can officially be considered “real”:

If you’ve done all these — congrats! Let the celebration commence. If you haven’t, well then you might want to hold off on the flowers and make sure you aren't being catfished.

But seriously, your first anniversary is important, and she’s definitely expecting something special (everything after that is just another variation of the same routine). What exactly depends on the type of girl she is, and the type of couple you are — museum trip, skydiving, fancy dinner for two at McDonalds — but the general gist and rules on how to mark the occasion are pretty set; you simply need to fill in the blanks.

The Plan: All You

You are 100% expected to be planning something special for the two of you. Is it fair? Maybe not, but considering she doesn’t ask or expect all that much of you in the general day to day of the relationship — you know, aside from being an honest, respectful, obedient caring partner — this is isn’t a lot to ask. (Sure, that's mostly because we love to control everything, but so what?) Not only does this prove that you remember the day it all started (aka the best day of your life), but do it right and you get all your romantic points for the rest of the year — or at least until Valentine's Day, whichever comes first. Don’t worry though, she’s likely to be dropping hints along the way so that it all goes to plan. All you need to do is listen for them.

The Gift: All You

Dinner is a given. A weekend is expected. She might not say it, but that's what she’s hoping for. It doesn’t have to be some extravagant trip away somewhere — though she wouldn’t complain if that was the case — just 48 hours dedicated to the two of you (read: her) away from all the noise and distractions of regular life. As for what you’re going to give to her, politically speaking, your time is enough — but if you're extra awesome and get her something anyway, you’ll definitely want to go the sentimental. The good news? It doesn't have to be some big statement, and no, jewelry is not on her mind. Not for the first anniversary, anyway. Neither is lingerie — that's just a headache waiting to happen, and on top of that, you’re stealing her thunder (see next point). Something like concert tickets to go see her favorite band together, or registration for that cooking class she always wanted to take up but never did is perfect. Bonus points for proving that you listen.

The Sex: All Her

Trust me when I say that she’s got this part under control. If she has one job this whole anniversary, it’s this. And you better believe she’s going to do it right. She knows what you like, she knows her size, and she’s going to make sure that all the time and money you spent putting this all together is well worth it. Its how we say thank you the way you’ll appreciate it most.

At the end of the day (or weekend, if you’re a champ) it's not about big conversations or big gestures — OK, maybe just a little bit — but it’s really about making time to celebrate the two of you; how far you’ve come, and all that you have to look forward to, together. Just make it memorable and all about her (we know you’re only doing this for us anyway) and you’ll be off the hook for at least another couple years.